What to do when Anxiety hits

Welcome my friend, come on in! Today we’re going to sit beside a warm fire, on this freezing cold & windy day here on the east coast of Australia.

I have a freshly brewed mug of caramel coffee for you & a home baked gf Banana & Passionfruit muffin to eat.

Together we are going to ponder what we do with those anxious thoughts that come to us at certain times of the day & night.

You know the ones where they start out as a thought, sprout into a concern then fully grow into worry & soon have us knee deep in anxiety.

Do you have those moments?

I think they come to us all & have you noticed that they seem to be mostly about our loved ones!

Personal Observations

I’ve noticed lately that those moments can come to me at a particular time of the day. 

Thinking this a little too coincidental to be just a random occurance.

I thought it may be related to a change in neurochemistry or blood sugar levels.

Putting my professional cap on I had a look at the recent research findings on this subject.

Did you know that our daily experience influences our hormone levels?

Most adults realise the opposite that certain hormones can definitely influence our emotions & behaviour.

But recent research has found the reverse is also true, our daily experience influences the level of hormones our bodies release!

Especially in the case of Cortisol.

As Dr Christian Jarrett explained in his article,

“Cortisol is a hormone that responds to perceived environmental stressors, certain chemical signals which originate in the brain cause cortisol to be released from the adrenal gland into our bloodstream.”

Once carousing through the bloodstream, cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases glucose, enhancing our brain’s use of it.

It also quietens functions that would be nonessential or even harmful in an emergency situation. 

A Helpful & harmful hormone

However, cortisol is also known as a helpful & harmful hormone depending on our levels of stress!

Our body releases more or less cortisol depending on our need in any given situation.

Giving us regular sustainable release in normal circumstances for homeostasis or great surges of cortisol to boost our energy level in flight/fight situations.

Of which our modern daily life stressors can emulate, including work, family & chronic health stressors. Ahhh!

As Dr Emma Adam at Northwestern University said:  ‘Sometimes it’s biology influencing emotion, in other cases it’s emotions affecting biology, so they’re intricately intertwined; to focus solely on one or the other is not helpful. Ref

Please Note, I am not talking about the anxiety associated with Anxiety Disorders here.

But there’s more! There’s a third influence!

While these research findings confirm how our body & mind are intricately interwoven.

They don’t take into account the spiritual influences that surround us!

Jesus constantly reminded us that we have an enemy…

This enemy will do everything to disturb our peace!

As Jesus said,

“The thief (Satan) comes only to steal, kill & destroy;

I came that they may have life

 & may have it abundantly.”

John 10:10

While we don’t need to live in fear of the enemy or conversely give him the credit for our own unwise choices in life.

We do need to be very aware that he & his cohorts do their best to hound us!

Especially in the areas where we are most vulnerable.

Which is often the love & concern we have for our nearest & dearest.

It comes down to discernment

You may remember that in the first post of this Hidden Series, I mentioned toxic thing’s can hide & grow in our hearts/lives. That we can easily put down to other situations going on in our lives.

One being aging & hormonal changes in our bodies.

But we also need to be aware that there is a constant spiritual battle going on to deflect us from dealing with toxic things like anxiety in our lives.

We need to keep focused on what God has told us to do with anxiety when it hits,

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything bring your earnest prayer in thanksgiving to Him.”

Philippians 4: 6

A good ol’ chat always works wonders

This is where prayer comes in, we have such a loving God we can go to at any time of the day or night.

He is the only one that can give us the supernatural peace that passes all understanding in these moments of anxiety.

How I do this is to just sit & chat to Him, like I’m chatting to you now.

I then lay my concerns & anxieties before Him in the following way; 

Heavenly Father, 

I’m really concerned for…… (name of person/s) in the situation…… they’re facing at the moment. I’m concerned because………..

I know you love them more then I can ever know. So Lord please continue to be with them in their circumstances giving them your wisdom, comfort & guidance.

And if they’re not walking or listening to you at the moment then I pray that you will bring them into that right relationship with you.

So they can hear your wisdom & seek your direction for their life.

Also Lord, please help me to focus upon you & not upon the circumstances of this loved one. But rather trust you for the outcome.

In Jesus Christ’s name,

Amen

At other times I journal my chat rather then pray in a traditional sense.

It depends on how I’m able to process whatever is concerning me at the time.

Then at some point during our chat I realise the Holy Spirit’s peace, comfort & reassurance has entered my soul. For God has this!

Are you feeling anxious my friend?

Don’t you think it’s time to have that good ol’ chat with God about how you’re really feeling! And then leave it with Him.

Next in the series is Letting go of Resentment

Until next time,

Jennifer

You’re welcome to join me in The Reading Nook

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© 2021 Jennifer M. Ross, teawithjennifer.blog All Rights Reserved. Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com 

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